As The Year Winds Down....

I pause to think over the year just gone by & am counting my blessings for many things, which include gaining another grandchild, a 'pink one' Yasmin Millie Deedee, born to my youngest son Paul & his lovely lady Leona & a sister for Mason! We also celebrated my father's 80th Birthday which allowed extended family members to catch up & see how thier families have grown too!


There were also sad moments along the way, back in March my dear Mother had a fall at home & left her with a nasty break to her ankle which required surgery. Then she contracted the dreaded MRSA bug, she still hasn't healed now & still needs regular dressings!


My pain levels have been through the roof this past year & my mobility has definately worsened. I am lucky that I am a patient of the reknowned Royal Mineral Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath, where I spent 9 days as an in patient in October! There I was told that my Ankylosing Spondylosis is now very active, so I am due to receive a new medication in the New Year, there have been some positive feedback from this new drug, my consulting team are quite positive that it will help me! On a positive note I met some wonderful people, fellow patients with a whole range of rheumatic conditions, friendships that are continuing now that I am back home. It's helpful to get this support from others that really do understand why I am like I am & not having to explain myself all the time or apologise that I am unable to manage something or keep an a appointment or a date!


I started The Craft Cupboard on Facebook, a group where fellow crafters could sell on thier unwanted craft supplies, I had no idea how popular it would be, but apart from a few teething troubles, it has gone from strength to strength, so much so that I ended up creating a second group, to allow the members to be able to show what they have made, share knowledge & tips & techniques, along with challenges, inspiration station for those days when craft block sets in! I then noticed that some members liked to sell thier handmade goods, so a third group was created to allow this to take place. This means that The Craft Cupboard is now a Trilogy .... I think I will leave it there though, because I couldn't cope with anymore, even with my happy band of admin members!


My middle son Steve has just turned his childhood dream into reality, by qualifying as a Fire Fighter, my other oldest son was asked to step up as Head Chef for The Castle Hotel in Castle Coombe & my youngest son has managed to get himself a job after some years of unemployment. I am very proud of all of them, in fact all four of my lads!


My partner Alex's son left school this year & is now at college studying engineering & his 2 younger daughters are growing up fast.


I spent a very happy Christmas weekend at the home of my oldest sons Kevin (he's a twin) & his lovely wife Donna (I'm convinced she is a direct decendant of Mother Nature herself) & family!
I can't remember the last time I saw so much fabulous food & drink under one roof,certainly not since my 4 sons grew up & left home, it was so special to be sat watching my grandsons opening thier gifts from Santa  ;)


I will see the year out at home, with Alex & his two daughters who are staying with us for the week, we will be playing games, watch a nice film & just be content to have survived another year!


I wonder what next year holds for me?
Whatever it is, I will do my best to make the most of it & stay as happy & mobile as I am able to do, share both laughs & tears & be thankful for my family, friends.

Happy New Year to you all

Woman's Prayer

Lord, Before I lay me down to sleep, 

I pray for a man, who’s not a creep, but, one who is handsome, smart and strong 

and whose willy will be, thick and long. 

One who thinks before he speaks, when promises to call, he won’t wait weeks. 

I pray that he's gainfully employed, so when I spend his cash, he won’t be annoyed. 

Pulls out my chair and opens my door, massages my back and begs to do more. 

Oh! Send me a man who will make love to my mind, knows just what to say, when I ask

"How big’s my behind?" 

One who’ll make love till my body’s a twitchin’, in the hall, the loo, the garden and kitchen! 

I pray that this man will love me no end, and never attempt to shag my best friend. 

So as I kneel here and pray by my bed, I look at the dickhead you sent me instead...

By Linda Parsons

~*~

Jane

Joanna Sheen & Christmas Wishes

Joanna Sheen now has a challenge blog, it will run monthly challenges & the first one was uploaded today. I have taken a look at her Design Team & it has loads of very talented crafters, including Paula Holifield & Susannah Mcmanus Kelly who are also members of my Facebook groups

The Craft Cupboard Trilogy

This months theme is *Christmas Wishes* 

Any form of papercraft is accepted as long as it fits the theme!

You can use any image you like, but if you use a Joanna Sheen image then you will automatically get 2 entries in the challenge. The winner will be decided using Random.org & the winner will receive a £30.00 voucher to spend in Joanna Sheen's online store!

The DT will also pick their top 3 makes and we will also give one of you the opportunity to join us in our fab Guest Designer spot.

There are a few rules, so please visit the challenge blog HERE read them & enter for your chance to win!

~*~

Jane

The Craft Cupboard Trilogy

The Craft Cupboard Story

Some months ago, I set up a private group on Facebook, for fellow crafters to sell their unloved craft materials & equipment. The maximum number of members at anyone time is 250, so it's small enough to get to know a lot of the members, especially the regulars that come in at least once a day. They come in to sell & buy, but also for the chatter with like minded people! When I started the group, I only ever expected to have the one. However, after it had been open for a while, it became obvious that there was a growing need to offer somewhere for this friendly group to showcase what they made. We need the feed on the group to keep flowing, so that members can readily see what is on offer to buy & sell & the general chatter & members were by this time wanting to show each other what they had made, or show how something is used on their projects etc. 

So, the second Cupboard group was created & only open to members of the original group. It's a very busy & fun group, that offers support, tips & tutorials, along with where to buy, as well as linking to outside soarces etc. something that's not allowed in the Cupboard. This second group is called the Craft Cupboard Show & Tell, it's a lot more relaxed with fewer rules & regulations. Oh, & there is so much talent in there, just when you have finished looking at one amazing item, another equally brilliant piece appears on the feed. 

The Show & Tell group also has a monthly prize challenge, where the winner is chosen by the members themselves, the only time that admin step in, is if there is a draw, we then have to choose the winner! 
Thank goodness, so far we haven't had to step in, because it would be such a hard choice.

Then, we began to notice that members were starting to ask if something was for sale. This prompted myself & my admin team wondering how to take things forward? Members are only allowed to sell craft materials in the Craft Cupboard & no selling is allowed in the Show & Tell. That's when Tracey on of my senior admin members rang me to suggest opening a third group, so after a lot communication with my admin, we put it forward to the members themselves to see if the need was out there?  
It turned out that many of the Cupboard group members already sold things that they create. So, after a lot of preparing & setting up of rules, plus working out how we should run this third group, TCC Marketplace was born.

The TCC Marketplace is an open group. This mean's that anyone on Facebook can find us & can apply to join, whether they are there to sell, buy or just look at what's on offer & everyone is welcome. 

I have to admit to being very proud of 
The Craft Cupboard Trilogy

~*~

Jane :) x

First one under my belt

 The first Christmas card I have made this year, all it needs is the greeting, I will add that when I decide who get's it. Made using Moreheads die cut decoupage, freebie papers from last months Cards & Papercraft magazine, & a Nestie Die, Glamour Dust & Stars that I bought from lovely members of The Craft Cupboard, my group on Facebook & Ribbon from my ribbon box!

thanks for visiting my blog
toodle pip
-x-

The Miners Woe

There's a cry in the valleys,
Tears in the West,
Mourning the heroes that wear the pit vest,
Underground grafters always put in a shift,
Below the hillside in the deep dark drift,
They're not coming home to their children their wives...
The mine once again takes cherished lives....

♥ R.I.P the 4 Welsh Miners who lost their lives ♥

Back to school .... hoorah

Twas the night before school started, when all through the town,
the parents were cheering...It was a riotous sound!
By 8, kids were washed and tucked into bed...
Where memories of homework filled them with dread!
New pencils, new folders, new notebooks too!
New teachers, new friends... Their anxiety grew!
The parents just giggled when they learned of this fright
- and shouted upstairs: Go to bed. its a school night!

These aren't my words, they were being passed around on facebook! I thought you might enjoy them, I know I did & brought back many memories of when my 4 sons were still at school :)

Thanks for dropping by

Jane ~ xXx

Simple Card

This card looks so much nicer in real life, I just can't get the editing on it quite right today & the light for taking photo's is not good either.
I still need so much practice with my promakers, but I am beginning to get the hang of the blending of them.
For this card I have used Basic Grey Papers ~ sweet threads range
plus paper & lace from my odds box.
Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts
Gems & Crystal Pin from my Duck Pond Craft Kit
Nestie & Promarkers
I am entering this card in the the I <3 Promarkers Challenge

Thanks for dropping by
Jane ~ xXx

My August Blooms Kit

Lots of yummies arrived on my doorstep a few days ago, in the form of my august blooms kit from Karen owner of Duck Pond Crafts
The blooms kit always comes delivered in a pretty chiffon bag & when you open it all the lovely blooms & ribbons come tumbling out. Karen pops the pins, charms, buttons & gems in a little cellophane bags to prevent them from damaging the other more delicate contents!
As you can see the August kit is made up of pinks, blues, black & creams .... so pretty!
In the cello bag this month you will find buttons, crystal topped pins, gems, charms & dew drops, I am really looking forward to using the kit. The blooms kit retails at £11.00 incl P&P
Karen also produces cardmaking kits too & stocks a large range of charms, she prides herself on trying to find charms & other items for her kits, that are just that little bit different.

A little card for a friend

At last I am wanting to craft again, I made this little card for a friend. I have also discovered promarkers & am slowly building buying them & hope to have the complete set soon. I am OK with just colouring with them, but need a lot of practice with the blending. So, I think this image still looks a little flat ... Still, I had fun making the card & there was a lot of love put into it too & that's the main thing, plus it brought a smile to it's new owner :)

Someone gifted me the stamped image, so I don't know the name of the stamp, but I used Basic Grey papers & flowers purchased from Wild Orchid Crafts I used Stickles for the wings & of coarse nesties to cut out the circles!

Thanks for dropping by
Jx

Meet my new Grandaughter

This is Yasmin, isn't she just the cutest little darling ever.
Welcome to the family princess, you have your big brother Mason to protect you, a Mummy & Daddy to comfort, treasure & guide you, so many lovely cousins to play with & huge adoring family to love you.
Yasmin you have the whole world to explore in time & Nanny Jane knows that you & Mason will conquer it together
<3 <3 <3

End of an Era for Wiltshire

I had a few tears this morning :( being silly I know but, it's always been there, all my life & part of the Wiltshire sky, everyone knew Fat Albert, as they were fondly known as round these parts. .... Yes, I am talking about the closure of RAF Lyneham Wiltshire ... Fat Albert is the Hurcules aircraft that has always supported the Troops & Repatriations as well as Relief Aide air drops around the world.
Staff & personel are moving to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, as part of the MOD cuts. The Wiltshire skys just won't be the same anymore!

When I moved back to Wiltshire 2yrs ago after a 10yr break, I saw a Hercules in the sky as I came off the M4 motorway & instantly knew I was home, now all that will be gone.
I have just seen 4 of the planes fly past now, that's what brought the tear to my eye. What a spendid sight it was, as they reached the open fields over the road from my bungalow, they banked, all 4 of them turning on thier side together ..... wonderful.!!!
You will all probably be familiar with the the repatriation ceremonies, with all the crowds come out to pay thier respect, as the funeral cars pass through Wooton Bassett, all that will now stop, because the repatriations will take place in Oxfordshire. However, I am proud that the town of Wootton Bassett now has Royal status.
Sorry if this is boring, but I was born & bred here in Wiltshire & my children & grandchildren, so Lyneham & the Hercules aircraft are part of me & I will miss them along with so many other people!

Where were you then..?

Where Were You When?

Where were you, when the world stopped turning that September day?

Out in the yard with your wife and children

Working on some stage in LA

Did you stand there in shock at the site of

That black smoke rising against that blue sky

Did you shout out in anger

In fear for your neighbour

Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children

Who lost their dear loved ones

And pray for the ones who don't know

Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble

And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out in pride

For the red white and blue

The heroes who died just doing what they do

Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer

And look at yourself to what really matters

I'm just a singer of simple songs

I'm not a real political man

I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you

The difference in Iraq and Iran

But I know Jesus and I talk to God

And I remember this from when I was young

Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us

And the greatest is love.

Where were you, when the world stopped turning that September day?

Teaching a class full of innocent children

Driving down some cold interstate

Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor

In a crowded room did you feel alone

Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her

Did you dust off that bible at home

Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened

Close your eyes and not go to sleep

Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages

Speak with some stranger on the street

Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow

Go out and buy you a gun

Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching

And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger

Stand in line and give your own blood

Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family

Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs

I'm not a real political manI watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you

The difference in Iraq and Iran

But I know Jesus and I talk to God

And I remember this from when I was young

Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us

And the greatest is loveI'm just a singer of simple songs

I'm not a real political manI watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you

The difference in Iraq and Iran

But I know Jesus and I talk to God

And I remember this from when I was young

Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us

And the greatest is love

The greatest is love

The greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day

song and lyrics by Alan Jackson

Job Vacancy - Craft Stamper Magazine

Job Vacancy - Assistant Editor Traplet Publications is seeking an assistant editor to work on Craft Stamper magazine and any of our other papercraft-related publications. Applicants must be passionate about papercrafting and demonstrate sound knowledge of rubber stamping, as well as other papercraft disciplines such as cardmaking, scrapbooking and altered art. You should also have an excellent command of the English language, good attention to detail and be able to work under pressure and to deadlines. Ideally the appointed candidate will work full time (37 hours per week), based in our offices in Malvern, Worcestershire. However, for the right candidate we may consider a job-share (18.5 hours) appointment and/or some limited home-working provision. Salary negotiable depending on skills and experience. Please apply in writing, enclosing a CV and a covering letter stating your suitability for the post, to katy.fox@traplet.com or Craft Stamper Magazine, Traplet Publications, Traplet House, Pendragon Close, Malvern WR14 1GA.

My Daily Life with Fibromyalgia

It is difficult to put into words what I go through each day, so here is a copy of a letter that was written for the purpose of letting others know what it is like;

LOVE LETTER TO NORMALS

by Claudia Marek

Here is my letter written to explain to family and friends what it’s like to have fibromyalgia. It won’t work miracles: it’s hard to understand our illness from the outside looking in. But it is a start and can open the door to important dialogues. You are all welcome to use it, either as is, or as a basis for writing your own. Remember that you have a responsibility to tell those close to you what is wrong and communicate as clearly as you can how you feel and what you need. The best time to do that is when you are not upset!

Fibromyalgia isn’t all in my head, and it isn’t contagious. It doesn’t turn into anything serious and nobody ever died from fibromyalgia (thought they might have wished they could on really awful days!!) If you want to read articles or books about fibromyalgia I can show you some that I think are good. If you just want to learn as we go along, that’s fine too. This is definitely going to be a process. The first step is for you to believe that there is an illness called fibromyalgia and that I have it. This may sound simple, but when you hear about my symptoms I don’t want you to think I’m making this all up as I go along.

Fibromyalgia is a high maintenance condition with lots and lots of different kinds of symptoms. There’s no way to just take a pill to make it go away, even for a little while. Sometimes a certain medication can make some of my symptoms more bearable. That’s about the best I can hope for. Other times I may take a lot of medication and still won’t feel any better. That’s just the way it goes. I can’t control how often I feel good or when I’m going to feel terrible. Lots of people have been cutting new drugs advertisements out of magazines for me and I appreciate the thought, but I’ve seen them too. Look at the list of side effects and the few symptoms they help in return. Even in the best studies those expensive compounds didn’t help over half the people who tried them. No matter how happy the people in the pictures look, there’s still no miracle drug available.

There’s no cure for fibromyalgia and it won’t go away. If I am functioning normally, I am having a good day. This doesn’t mean I’m getting better — I suffer from chronic pain and fatigue for which there is no cure. I can have good days, several good weeks or even months. But a good morning can suddenly turn into a terrible afternoon. I get a feeling like someone has pulled out a plug and all my energy has just run out of my body. I might get more irritable before these flares, and suddenly get more sensitive to noise or just collapse from deadening fatigue. Weather changes can have a big effect on how I feel. Other times there may be no warning, I may just suddenly feel awful. I can’t warn you when this is likely to happen because there isn’t any way for me to know. Sometimes this is a real spoiler and I’m sorry. The sadness I feel for what my illness does to those around me is more than I can easily describe. You may remember me as a light-hearted fun loving person — and it hurts me that I am no longer what I was.

Fibromyalgics have a different kind of pain that is hard to treat. It is not caused by inflammation like an injury. It is not a constant ache in one place like a broken bone. It moves around my body daily and hourly and changes in severity and type. Sometimes it is dull and sometimes it is cramping or prickly. Sometimes it’s jabbing and excruciating. If Eskimos have a hundred words for snow, fibromyalgics should have a hundred words for pain. Sometimes I just hurt all over like I’ve been beaten up or run over by a truck. Sometimes I feel too tired to lift up my arm.

Besides pain, I have muscle stiffness which is worse in the morning and evenings. Sometimes when I get up out of a chair I feel like I am ninety years old. I may have to ask you to help me up. I’m creaky and I’m klutzy. I trip over things no one can see, and I bump into the person I am walking with and I drop things and spill things because my fingers are stiff and my coordination is off. I just don’t seem to connect the way I should. Hand-eye, foot-eye coordination, it’s all off. I walk slowly up and down stairs because I’m stiff and I’m afraid I might fall. When there’s no railing to hold on to, it’s terrifying.

Because I feel bad most of the time, I am always pushing myself, and sometimes I just push myself too hard. When I do this, I pay the price. Sometimes I can summon the strength to do something special but I will usually have to rest for a few days afterwards because my body can only make so much energy. I pay a big price for overdoing it, but sometimes I have to. I know it’s hard for you to understand why I can do one thing and not another. It’s important for you to believe me, and trust me about this. My limitations, like my pain and my other symptoms are invisible, but they are real.

Another symptom I have is problems with memory and concentration which is called fibrofog. Short-term memory is the worst! I am constantly looking for things. I have no idea where I put down my purse, and I walk into rooms and have no idea why. Casualties are my keys which are always lost, my list of errands, which I write up and leave on the counter when I go out. Even if I put notes around to remind myself of important things, I’m still liable to forget them. Don’t worry, this is normal for fibromyalgics. Most of us are frightened that we are getting Alzheimer’s. New kinds of brain scans have actually documented differences in our brains.

I mentioned my sensitivities earlier and I need to talk about them again. It’s more like an intolerance to everything. Noise, especially certain noises like the television or shrill noises can make me jittery and anxious. Smells like fish or some chemicals, or fragrances or perfume can give me headaches and nausea. I also have a problem with heat and cold. It sounds like I’m never happy but that isn’t it. These things make me physically ill. They stress me out and make my pain worse and I get exhausted. Sometimes I just need to get away from something, I just don’t know how else to say it. I know sometimes this means I will have to go outside, or out to the car, or go home to sit alone and that’s really all right. I don’t want or need you to give up doing what’s important to you. That would only make me feel worse. Sometimes when I feel lousy I just want to be by myself. When I’m like this there’s nothing you can do to make me feel better, so it’s just better to let me be.

I have problems sleeping. Sometimes I get really restless and wake up and can’t get back to sleep. Other times I fall into bed and sleep for fourteen hours and still be tired. Some nights I’ll toss and turn and not be able to sleep at all. Every little thing will keep me awake. I’m sure that’s confusing to be around, and I know there are times when my tossing and turning and getting up and down to go to the bathroom disturbs you. We can talk about solutions to this.

All these symptoms and the chemical changes in my brain from pain and fatigue can make me depressed as you’d imagine. I get angry and frustrated and I have mood swings. Sometimes I know I’m being unreasonable but I can’t admit it. Sometimes I just want to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed. These emotions are all very strong and powerful. I know this is a very hard thing about being with me. Every time you put up with me when I’m in one of my moods, secretly I’m grateful. I can’t always admit it at the time, but I’m admitting it now. One thing I can tell you is it won’t help to tell me I’m irrational. I know I am, but I can’t help it when it’s happening.

I have other symptoms like irritable bowel, muscle spasms and pelvic pain that will take their toll on our intimacies. Some of these symptoms are embarrassing and hard to talk about but I promise to try. I hope that you will have the patience to see me through these things. It’s very hard for me too because I love you and I want to be with you, and it makes everything worse when you are upset and tired of dealing with all my problems. I have made a promise to myself and now I am making it to you: I will set aside time for us to be close. During that time we will not talk about my illness. We both need time to get away from its demands. Though I may not always show it I love you a million times more for standing by me. Having to slow down physically and having to get rid of unnecessary stresses will make our relationship stronger.Link to the original letter

Easter Card

I made this card up from a design that the very talented Sally Booth designed for sale on Crafts U Print. This is such a simply, effective, quick & very pretty card to make, so it's ideal for any last minute Easter greetings that you might want to make up. After printing out the design on to shimmery silk card & cutting out the pieces, I left the eggs in the back ground quite flat by just using glue, but the bunny I decoupaged to make him stand out. I toyed with the idea of glittering some bits of the design, but in the end I didn't bother ... maybe next time :)
Thanks for looking
Jx

Checking for scraps

Three of my hens just checking for any seeds that my have fallen off of the bird table, before moving off for a scratch around the garden. Little do they know that their completely free range of the garden is coming to an end sometime this summer, when they will have a large fenced off area. However, these beautiful two legged rotovaters, are doing a great job at turning over the soil in preparation for planting.

Over the weeks I will be showing you some of the weird and wonderful objects that they have dug up in my long asleep garden which was once, obviously loved by it's previous elderly owner, before it went quiet and neglected.

OMW - Six Word Saturday

Today over on One Minute Writer today is Six Word Saturday & today our prompt is to describe our life in six words, so this is how I would some up my life...

Family - Animals - Rural - Unregimented - Cluttered - Contented

Have a lovely Sunday folks & remember to make time for you in your day too..!
Jx

OMW - Friday Fiction

Over on the One Minute Writer blog, they hold a Friday Fiction they drop the minute timer & encourage you to write a short {short short} story, again using a prompt.
Todays prompt is:

Strings

I was sat up in the attic, not sure how long I had been up here but, I knew that time must be ticking on by the pin and needles feeling in my feet where I had been sat on them for so long. Looking around me now I am surrounded by so much ephemera of what turned out to be the beginning of my parents life together. "Amazing" I thought to myself as I stretched my legs out, trying to rid my feet of the tingling, I had learned so much about Mum and Dad's life before 'Me', in such a short time and I learned all this from the letters and journals which it turned were attached to the string that I pulled on that was hanging out of the trunk.

Well, that's my 1st ever attempt at any type of story, it may not be the best but, I did enjoy writing it so I guess that's mission accomplished :)

Thanks for reading
Jx

Damage Stops Play

My camera has stopped working I don't know what's wrong with it, one minute I was taking photos the next it went blank. Everything works on it just as though your taking a photo, but the LCD screen is blank, I can see the 'centering' markers that you use to line up a shot but everything is just ... well blank.! It's almost like when the lens comes out that a shutter is remaining closed obscuring the view, so I can't see my subject, the lens can't see the subject so I don't get my photo.
Ok, so it's just a kodak point & shoot camera & nothing fancy but, it's all I have got & it serves me well {up until now anyway} I have lot's of stuff I want to put on Ebay, I have just signed up to a daily photo journal too, not to mention adding photo's on here. Typical, things don't half pick there moments. So if anyone knows what I am talking about & has a clue as to what could be wrong with my camera please share your thoughts :)
Jx

The OMW prompt today is:

Crazy
So whats makes you crazy?

My prescription medications thats what makes me crazy, well actually its how the surgery have decided to prescribe them. They will only prescribe me one months dose at a time , when they know so well that it is an ongoing medicine.
If it was something new to me, I could understand it or a controlled drug even, but no, month after month I have to re order. Times that by the amount of patients in the surgery and it's probably costing them more money in the long run, costs me twice as much money too.

Anyway, that's my minute up...
If you fancy writing down your thoughts daily with the use of a prompt, then check out the One Minute Writer blog

Birds of a feather ATCs

Here are the first 4 ATCs in a set I am making to put over on my ATC Swap Lounge blog
I have decided to call the set which will contain at least 6 ATCs , possibly more "Birds of a Feather"
They are all British birds & they have been made using smalls scraps of left overs paper & an RSPB brochure that was included in the weekend newspaper, plus a touch of ink & the odd gem. The photos of the birds were far too pretty to simply throw into the recycle bin :)

I really shouldn't window shop....

I just found this great site for perfumes ect. I really shouldn't have spent anything but I couldn't help but treat myself. I was good though & ordered a perfume for my step daughter Daisy's birthday which is at the end of the month.
Fragrance Direct

Chit Chat & Chickens

I had to be up early this morning as my partner is away for the weekend visiting his children, meaning I needed to be up to let the hens out otherwise they would have created such a noise the whole neighbourhood would have known they were still shut in :) We lost a hen early on this week & it's a complete mystery as to what happened to her, no signs of feathers anywhere that would suggest a struggle with an animal of some kind, I have been up & down the road, no signs of squashed chicken & across the field looking, but still no signs of her. She was in the garden at midday when I did a head count & gone by 1pm, all very strange especially as she was one of my 3 original hens that I purchased as chicks & the 3 always stayed together. I have since aquired another 2 hens that my son asked me to have {he wants his garden back} so now I am back up to 5 hens again, so a full house :) & by the sounds of the happy crowing I just heard, there will be at least 2 eggs in the nest to collect later.

I am determined to do something crafty today, nothing big I don't think because I still haven't got my craftroom back yet & I daren't start anything big as family are likely to drop by at some point today & nothing is sacred when my grandbabies are around, even my youngest grandson Logan who is 7 months old is crawling & pulling himself up to the furniture.

Anyways, I am just off for a look around some of my favourite blogs & then I will make a start. Hopefully, I will have something to show later!

Have a great weekend everyone

Jx

Few cards I have made in the past

A handful of cards that I have made in the past, some of you will have seen them before if your followers, but I doubt there are many of you left nowadays, given up on me many months ago :)

Happy 2011

A new year and I have decided that it is going to be one that I put to good use. I want to get back into crafting again :)
I have applied to join the DT of a cardmaking sketch challenge blog (I'll let you know how that goes) if I am unsuccessful this time then I will certainly be looking for more, goodies or no goodies I just love being on a DT because it motivates me and gives me focus.

Oh, and I want to get back to blogging again too :)

Take care
Jx